Prevacid maxed out and still getting worse! Ideas?

[Anonymous]

Ok, sorry this is long, but I’m getting desperate! HELP!

My DS is almost 5 months old, and abt 13 lbs. About 2 months ago I was giving him 1 and 1/4 solutabs of prevacid (abt 18.75mg) per day and then as he grew I was giving him 1 and 1/2 solutabs per day all based on the recommeded doses from Marci-kids. (I had some extra solutabs so I was able to give him much more than the GI nurse was willing prescribe him.) And he was doing MUCH better. Oh, yes, and he was also on 1.9mg of zantac a day. Then about 4 weeks ago, he started not doing so well again (more Sandifers Syndrome symptoms, choking, refusing to eat, etc.) He had just been to the ped so I knew his new current weight and so, I went ahead and increased on my own to giving him 26.5 mg prevacid per day, which was the recommended dose for his new current weight from marci-kids. (And giving him 2.5mg of zantac a day also.) However, I was running out of the extra solutabs I had so I made up the difference by using the OTC prevacid capsuls. I broke them open and devided up the BB’s. But, he continued to get worse and worse. I’m currently giving him 26mg prevacid per day which is the max recommended for his age/weight (one 15mg solutab and the rest in OTC BB’s), but he continues to get worse. So, now I’m looking for more options.

Here are my questions and ideas. I need input PLEASE!!!

1. Can a baby build up a tollerence to prevacid? I know they can to zantac, but I haven’t seen anything about this with prevacid. I’m wondering if switching meds would help.

2. Is it possible that the OTC prevacid capsuls are not as absorbable by a baby’s body? I’ve noticed that the BB’s in the OTC capsuls are MUCH bigger than the med BB’s in the solutabs. So, maybe they take longer to absorb or are passing through before they can?

3. If adding extra prevacid in the form of OTC BB’s doesn’t help, what about giving him some OTC zegrid/prilosec. I’ve seen all the mixing instructions for how to do that on this site. If I do, should I give him the 15mg solutab of prevacid and then the equivilant number of mgs of zegrid to make up to 26? I don’t know if the amount of med for prevacid and the amount for zegrid is a 1 to 1 equivilant…you know what I mean?

4. If I do mix my own zegrid/prilosec, I cannot find MCS ANYWHERE! It is not in any store that I can find and I’ve looked in many and the CVS pharmacy online is always out of stock. So, I’ve thought of using children’s tums, but I’ve noticed that when it is mixed with water it forms these snot-like clumps…not sure what to make of that.

5. I saw on the products page that Tummy Care Z/Max and Belly Buffers are back. Can those be used to mix with the zegrid/prilosec to make a suspension?

Whew! Ok, I think that is all! Thanks for reading this and I hope someone can give me some direction!!!!

Karen

[hellbennt]

wrote: I saw on the products page that Tummy Care Z/Max and Belly Buffers are back.

YES! they are! I would use prevacid w/ Belly Buffers! Contact them!

[Anonymous]

I should use PREVACID with Belly Buffers, not zegrid/prilosec? Will that help the OTC prevacid work better?

Karen

[hellbennt]

you must contact them to see which one you use w/ prevacid, but YES, whatever they have named it that goes w/ prevacid will make the prevacid effective and stable & you can give at any time & do not have to time around meals!

[Anonymous]

Cool! I thought those products were just for prilosec. Do you have any insight into my other questions? Like can he be building a tollerance to prevacid and need to switch meds?

[hellbennt]

yep, I have much insight, LOL!

as for building a tolerance to prevacid, no, not in the same way they seem to plateau on zantac/tagament/pepcid.

sometimes it is necessary to try another PPI- just like advil or motrin or alleve seem to work better for some than others- prevacid is NOT one of those drugs, just using an example.

my son started on prilosec, maxed out on it & we switched to prevacid and

caracream (don’t know what it’s called now, lol, but I’m on my way to finding out- I’ve emailed them) & it seemed to do the trick- but he also needed zantac, too…for a while- then he didn’t…

as for the bbs- do you mean beads inside the capsules?

are you giving both the solutabs & the beads on an empty stomach, followed by a ‘meal’ 30 minutes later? the beads from the capsules need to be given w/ 1 tsp of applesauce or some pedialyte –

OTC w/ applesauce, pedialyte, etc:

https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=14642&PID=113339#113339

what formula or breastfeeding? could it be a reaction to a protein in his diet?

also, try some probiotics?

probiotics, brands used:

https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=8970&PN=1

[Anonymous]

Yes, I’m giving him both on an empty stomach (as much as I can he eats little bits frequently so being truely empty is a challenge) and then I try to feed him 30 min later, which I can usually get at least a little into him, but sometimes not. 🙁 He was doing very well on his prevacid solutabs for a couple months, then not so good and is still getting worse and worse.

I didn’t realize the capsule beads (that is what I meant by BB’s) had to be given with applesauce. I thought giving them with nothing was best. I was just having him suck them off my finger. Does the applesauce make them work better? He isn’t really taking solids yet. I have started giving him small amounts of very thin rice cereal on a spoon recently, but I think it will be awhile before I can give him a spoon of applesauce and actually have it go down. Right now it would all probably end up on his bib since he LOVE blowing raspberries off a spoon! 🙂 He is breastfeeding, but the only thing in my diet I have identified is if I eat a LOT of dairy he seems to be fussier. But, nothing major changed in my diet when he started to get worse.

What does the caracreme (or these other products that are available now) do?

Thanks!

k

Stonecypher2012-02-19 16:14:40

[hellbennt]

please read prevacid 101

last (purple) post on the page

https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1936&PN=0&TPN=1

[Anonymous]

I read prevacid 101, but unless I’m missing something, it looks like giving the beads with applesauce is just to make it go down better, not actually affect the impact of the medication, right? If that is the case, I’m not having trouble getting it into him anyway, it just doesn’t seem to be effective. Perhaps if I order one of those other products (belly buffers, etc) maybe then it will be more effective….Or are those just to make a stable compound that will not lose effectiveness over several days of sitting in the fridge? Will they actually effect beads from a freshly opened capsule?

k

[hellbennt]

you do need the applesauce to make it affective- or pedialyte- it helps it go down and something about the acidity…enough to make it work but not too much, like in a full meal…this explains it: https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=6026&PN=1&TPN=1

the products help make everything go down & be effective and stable- as for hte beads dissolving in them, I think they do…

[Anonymous]

This sounds very similar to my 5 month old. How is it going for you? Any improvement over the last few days???? What did you decide to do?

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately I’m still in limbo. I’ve been trying to get the company that makes the belly buffers or tummy max (or whatever they are called!) to give me some info on which product to order to see if it will improve the effectiveness of his meds. Also, I still haven’t been able to find anyone to give me an answer about also giving him prilosec/zegrid instead of the OTC prevacid. What I mean is can I give him his prescribed prevacid solutab and then also give him some OTC prilosec/zegrid in addition to make up the difference in dose between what the GI will prescribe and what he needs? I’ve asked that on this thread and on a previous thread, but never get an answer, so my guess is no one knows. I’m not sure if I’m adventerous enough to try it without some guideance. Also, no one can seem to tell me how to get mylanta cherry supreme. My guess is that just can’t be gotten anywhere anymore and if so I’m thinking I can’t create my own OTC zegrid/prilosec compound anyway. So, we’re still just waiting. I’m still giving him his prescribed amount of prevacid plus some of the beads from the OTC prevacid pills to make up to his max allowable dose. He is still not doing well, tho. Some days are better than others, but he is definately worse than he was a month ago.

How are things for your son?

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately my son is not doing well at all! He is refusing most of his bottles and crying most of the day! We just got home from the hospital. He had a ph study and repeat endoscopy! I just got off the phone with the GI dr and we may be going back in as Logan has only taken 8 ounces for the whole day! He said that his ph study shows mild reflux so he thinks something else may be going on with him! I know how u feel 🙁

[Anonymous]

Ugh! I know my two older sons had to do tests to see what was wrong and they only showed “mild reflux”. None the less there was nothing else wrong. As far as I know those test can only show what happens while the test is going on. If the baby doesn’t reflux, or doesn’t reflux much, or only refluxes a little acid, during the test that is all they can tell you. I don’t see how that can be helpful information. Just because the baby doesn’t reflux a lot of acid during the test, doesn’t mean they aren’t in pain from past episodes which can take weeks to heal and it doesn’t mean they won’t reflux again right after the test. Anyway, I don’t see how the tests are useful except to rule out someother anatomical problem that could cause the refulx. There could always be food sensitivities that can cause problems, but this could also just be the way it is even without food problems. I know I tried EVERYTHING with my first two boys and only more medication had any effect until they outgrew it at about a year.

I hope you all get some relief soon!!!!

[hellbennt]

TESTS:

you are right about the upper GI: it’s a snap shot in time & if baby isn’t refluxing at time of test, it doesn’t show reflux. this test IS good for finding any structural abnormalities

Endoscopy: this can provide good info. goes into esophogus & takes biopsies and looks for irritation. biopsied cells are tested- if there are EOS cells this is indication of allergy. can also find THRUSH. esophogeal thrush is not rare & can be there even without any thrush in the mouth/upper throat…

ph probe: this measures the LENGTH of reflux episodes, the SEVERITY of the episodes and FREQUENCY of them- how often they’re occuring…

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